1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a drinking water dispenser for domestic and/or commercial use for dispensing drinking water such as mineral water with the water being sterilized.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, no drinking water dispensers of the above-noted type have been equipped with means for sterilizing water reserved therein. Such dispenser generally includes a bottle filled with the drinking water such as mineral water and a reservoir for receiving and reserving the drinking water flowed down from the bottle. The filling operation of e.g. the mineral water into the bottle is done in a sanitary manner at a factory under a strict quality control. Thus, even if the mineral water or natural water contains no germicide such as free chlorine therein, the water may be maintained at the germfree condition as long as the water is kept within the sealed bottle.
However, after the water is removed from the bottle into the reservoir, rapid germ propagation occurs due to the contact of the water with the ambience air. For this reason, after being kept for an extended period of time, there develops muddiness in the water, and this muddiness deteriorates the taste of the drinking water.
In order to restrict such germ propagation detrimental to the drinking water, the prior art has suggested periodical cleaning of the reservoir with hot water or water-draining and drying of the reservoir. However, these operations are not only troublesome, but uneconomical because not inexpensive bottled water has to be disposed of wastefully.
In view of the above-described state of the art, a primary object of the present invention is to provide an economical drinking-water dispenser having sterilizing means, which can eliminate e.g. the troublesome reservoir cleaning operation as well as the necessity of wasteful disposal of the bottled water.